Aspirating apparatus



March 21, 1961 D. c. KANE ASPIRATING APPARATUS Filed Deo. 8. 1958 l vw@ f.., f,

o 5 l /9 Z ATTO R N EY Asrmnrnso APPARATUS Donald C. Kane, Wayne Township, Passaic County, NJ.,

assignor to Specialties Development Corporation, Belleville, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 8, 1958, Ser. No. '778,676

10 Claims. (Cl. 230-95) The present invention relates to aspirating apparatus, and, more particularly, to such apparatus for initiating various devices such as inatable rafts, boats, escape chutes, cushions and the like.

Aspirating apparatus for inatable devices includes an air entraining tube having an inlet into which gas under pressure is directed and an outlet for delivering expanded gas and entrained air to the interior of the device, and a normally closed closure tor the outlet adapted to open while air is being delivered and to reclose and coniine the air within the device. v

Heretofore, highly efficient aspirating apparatus has been used which was satisfactory in all respects except that the closure operating mechanism was somewhat complicated and unduly increased the weight of the apparatus.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide aspirating apparatus having a closure operating mechanism which is extremely simple in construction, is of minimum size and weight, is reliable in operation, and is economical to manufacture.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred `embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of aspirating ap-` paratus in accordance with the present invention illustrating the closure in its closed position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 1V i-llustrating the closure as it is opening.

Fig. 3 is an end view taken at the air entrainment end of the apparatus on a reduced scale.

Referring to the drawing in detail, apparatus -is shown for aspirating air into an inilatable device of the type previously indicated but not illustrated herein. This apparatus generally comprises a tube lt), a closure assembly ll and a nozzle and closure operating assembly l2.

The tube 1t) has a dared inlet section 14, a flared outlet section l5 and an intermediate cylindrical section 16, and is so proportioned that it serves as a venturi tube for moving a large volume of low pressure air which is entrained at its inlet or outer end and is directed into the inatable device at its outlet or inner end.

The inlet section 14 of the tube is formed with a flange 17 which is secured'to a mounting ring 1S having a rubber flange 19 secured to its inner face adapted to be secured in the customary manner to the portions of the inflatable device providing an entrance opening (not shown). The ring 1S also has a fitting 20 secured to the front face thereof which has an inlet port 2l for con necting a source of high pressure air by means of a hose (not shown), and has an outlet port 22 for connecting 2,975,958 Patented Mar. 2l, 1961 the nozzle and closure operating assembly 12 as described hereinafter. If desired, a tine screen 24 is mounted in the tting between its inlet and outlet ports which serves as a lter.

The outlet section l5 of the tube is formed with a stepped ange '25 which provides an annular shoulder 26 for seat means such as a gasket 27. The intermediate section lo of the tube has a spider 28 mounted there'- in adjacent the outlet section l5 for supporting the nozzle and closure operating assembly 12.

`The closure assembly comprises an apertured cage 29, a closure member 30, a spring 31 for urging the closure member on the gasket 27, a ow directing and secondary closure member 32, and a spring 33 for urging the member 3l on the gasket 27.

The cage 29 is secured to the ange 25 adjacent its outer periphery, and has a central boss 34 facing the tube 10 and extending partially into one end of the spring 3l.

The closure member 30 is a disc slightly flared at its outer portion in a direction away from the tube 10; and has a central Well 35 on the side yfacing the tube l0, a shoulder 36 surrounding the well 35, an annular groove 37 at the other side surrounding the shoulder 36 for receiving the other end of the spring 31, and a rim 39 for engaging the gasket 27 adjacent its outer periphery.

The member 32 is a centrally apertured concavoconvex disc having an outer portion ared in a direction away from the tube l@ at about the same angle as the closure member Sti is ilared. A sleeve 40 is secured to the side of the member 32 facing away from the tube at its central aperture on Which the spring 33 is mounted with one end seated on the shoulder 36 and its other end abutting the member 32. The outer peripheral portion of the member 32 engages the gasket 27 adjacent its inner periphery and is surrounded by the rim 39.

The spring 33 is weaker than the spring 3?. for the purpose to be made apparent hereinafter.

The nozzle and closure operating assembly l2 cornprises an L-shaped tube fil, a nozzle 42 and a piston 44. One arm of the tube el is connected in uid ow communication with the outlet port 22 of the fitting 20 and has opposed side openings 45, and the other arm is open at its end and is axially disposed and supported by the spider 28 in the tube sections 15 and 16 to provide a cylinder d6 for the piston 44. The piston extends outwardly of the cylinder, through the sleeve 4@ and into the well 35 of the closure member 39, whereby, when gas under pressure is introduced into the tube 4l, the piston is operated to unseat the closure member 30.

ln order to prevent the piston from damaging the closure assembly Iii, a ow restricting orice 47 is provided at the inlet end of the cylinder 46 to reduce the rate of flow of the gas to an extent that the piston is not operated too rapidly. Also, the extent of movement of the piston in response to gas under pressure is limited by a slot 48 in the piston and a pin 49 secured to the spider which extends through the slot and is engaged by an end face 5@ `at the upstream end of the slot. As a further precaution, the clearance between the piston and cylinder may be such so as to bleed gas past the piston to the open end of the cylinder at a rate to maintain the closure member Sti unseated without exerting an excessive force on the closure assembly.

The nozzle i2 is a hollow discontinuous ring having its ends 51 secured in the openings 45 for iluid communication with the gas supply tube il and having orifices 52 facing the inlet section 14 of the tube 1t) to eifect entrainment of ambient air into the tube.

ln operation, when the inatable device is in collapsed member 30 on the gasket 27 so that the spring 33- is compressed to also maintain the member 32 on the gasket (Fig. l), whereby the entrance to the inilatable device is sealed against the entry of moisture, dust or other unwanted matter. Y

As shown in Fig. 2, when gas under pressure enters the tube 41 a portion thereof passes into the cylinder 46 and operates the piston 44 to unseat the closure member 39, whereby the spring 33 is decompressed and can yield in response to entrained air and gas directed into the tube 1u so that the member 32 is unseated and is positioned to direct the ilow of air and gas radially outwardly into the inflatable device. By so directing the ilow of entrained air and gas, the eiciency of the aspirator is not impaired.

j As the receptacle of compressed gas is being emptied and the device is fully inilated, the pressure of the gas decreases and the pressure in the device increases. A condition can then arise whereby the gas pressure drops to a value which is no longer eiective to aspirate air and the pressure of the gas in back of the piston 44 is still sucient to oppose the spring 31 and hold the closure member 30 ott its seat with the result that the pressure medium could escape and allow the device to be deated before the member 3@ is seated. Asithis condition is approached, the closure member 32 senses the change in pressures, and, when the combined pressure in the device and the force of the spring 33 acting on the member 32 exceeds the pressure of the incoming air and gas, the member 32 seats almost instantly and acts as a check valve to retain the pressure medium in the device until the pressure behind the piston 44 decays to a value so that the closure member 30 returns to its seat.

This mode of operation also is advantageous in a case where the inflatable device is twisted upon itself and strangles a substantial space to be inflated. Here again, when the pressure in the device increases due to the strangulation and exceeds the pressure of the gas and aspirated air acting on the closure member 32, the member 32. is seated and prevents further inilation of the device which might result in building up an excessive pressure capable of bursting the device. While the member 32 has been so seated, the device can be quickly untwisted to relieve strangulaion, whereupon the pressure in the device drops and the aspirated air can again unseat the closure member 32.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides simple and practical aspirating apparatus which is eicient in operation and economical to manufacture. While the `apparatus is constructed of lightweight sheet metal parts and lightweight tubing, it is sufficiently rugged to withstand such rough usage to which it normally may be subjected.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacricing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

I claim:

l. Aspirating apparatus `for an inflatable device, said apparatus comprising a tube having an air entrainment inlet and #an outlet'for delivering the entrained air into the inatable device, seat means on said tube at said outlet, a closure at said outlet for said seat means, spring means in engagement with said closure, structure positioning said spring means for urging said closure on said seat means, means mounted adjacent said tube for supplying and directing gas under pressure into said inlet to entrain air, means including a piston -for moving said closure away from said seat means, iowv directing means slidably mounted on said piston between said closure means and said seat means, and spring means positioned between said closure and said ilow directing means for urging said flow directing means towards said seat means.

lapparatus comprising a tube having an air entrainment inlet yand an outlet for delivering the entrained air into the inflatable device, seat means on said tube lat said outlet, a closure at said outlet for said seat means, spring means in engagement with said closure, structure positioning said spring means for urging said closure on said seat means, means mounted adjacent said tube for supplying and directing gas under pressure into said inlet to entrain air, means including a piston for moving said closure away from said seat means, ow Vdirecting means slidably mounted on said piston between said closure means and said seat means, and spring means positioned'between said closure and said i'low directing means for urging said How directing means xtowards said seat means, said flow direct- -ing means being a ared disc for directing gas and entrained air in a generally radial direction at said outlet.

3. Aspirat-ing apparatus for an inflatable device, said apparatus comprising a tube having an air entrainment inlet and an outlet for delivering the entrained air into the inilatable device, seat means on said tube at said outlet, a closure at said outlet tor said seat means, spring means in engagement with said closure, structure positioning said spring means for urging said closure on said seat means, means including a piston for moving said closure away from said seat means, means mounted adjacent said tube Afor supplying and directing gas under pressure into said inlet to entrain air, disc means slidably mounted on said piston between said `closure means and said seat means, and spring means positioned between said closure land said disc means for urging said disc means on said seat means to provide a secondary closure.

l4. Aspirating apparatus for an inflatable device, said apparatus comprising a tube having an air entrainment inlet and an outlet for delivering the entrained air into the inflatable device, a seat at said outlet, means for supplying and directing gas under pressure into said inlet to entrain air, a cylinder axially positioned in said tube having an inlet at its outer end in iiuid ilow communication with said means and having an open inner end adjacent said outlet, a piston in said cylinder having an end portion extending out of said open end of said cylinder, a rst closure member for engaging said seat having an aperture through which said piston portion extends, a second closure Imember for engaging said seat surrounding said rst closure member and being engaged by said pist0n portion, a rst spring in engagement with said second closure member, structure positioning said spring for urging said second closure member on said seat, and a second spring positioned between and compressed by said rst and second closure members.

5. Aspirating apparatus -for an inflatable device, said apparatus comprising a tube having an air entrainment inlet and an outlet for delivering the entrained air into the inlatable device, a seat at said outlet, means for supplying and directing gas under pressure into said inlet to entrain air, a cylinder axially positioned in said tube having an inlet Kat its outer end in tluid flow communication with said means and having an open inner end adjacent said outlet, gas ilow restrict-ing means at said cylinder inlet, a piston in said cylinder having an end portion extending out of said open end of said cylinder, a first closure member for engaging said seat having an aperture through which said piston portion extends, a second closure member for engaging said seat surrounding said iirst closure member and being engaged by said piston portion, a rst spring in engagement with said second closure member,

structure positioning said spring for urging said second closure member on said seat, and a second spring weaker than said rst spring positioned between and compressed by said rst and second closure members.

6. Aspirating apparatus for an inflatable device, said apparatus comprising a tube having an air entrainment inlet and an outlet for delivering the entrained air into the inatable device, -a seat at said outlet, means for supplying and directing gas under pressure into said inlet to entrain air, a cylinder axially positioned in said tube having au inlet at its outer end in fluid ow communication with said means and having an open `inner end adjacent said outlet, a piston in said cylinder having an end portion extending out of said open end of said cylinder, a rst closure member tor engaging said seat having an aperture through which said piston portion extends, a second closure member `for engaging said seat surrounding said rst closure member and being vengaged by said piston portion, a cage secured to said tube -adjacent its outlet, a iirst spring positioned between said cage and said second closure member for urging said second closure member on said sea-t, and a second spring positioned between and compressed by said rst and second closure members.

7. Aspirating apparatus for an inatable device, said apparatus comprising a tube having an air entrainment inlet and an outlet positioned tor delivering the entrained air into the inflatable device, closure means mounted on said tube adjacent said outlet `for closing said outlet, a conduit secured to said tube having an inlet section for introducing gas under pressure and having a cylinder section axially positioned in said tube, said inlet section having opposed side openings, a hollow discontinuous annular member having its ends disposed in said openings to establish uid flow between it and said'inlet section and having apertures facing said outlet of said tube, and a piston in said cylinder section engaging said closure means for operating said closure means to open and close said outlet.

8. Aspirating apparatus `for an inflatable device, said apparatus comprising a tube having an air entrainment inlet and an outlet positioned for delivering the entrained air into the inflatable device, closure means mounted on said tube adjacent said outlet for closing said outlet, a conduit secured to said tube having an inlet section tor introducing gas under pressure and having a cylinder section axially positioned in said tube, said inlet section having opposed openings, a hollow discontinuous annular member having its ends disposed in said openings, to establish flu-id flow between it and said inlet section and having apertures taci-ng said outlet of said tube, a piston in said cylinder section engaging said closure means for operating said closure means to open and close said outlet, and gas ow restricting means between said cylinder section and said openings.

9. Aspirating apparatus for an inflatable device, said apparatus comprising a tube having an air entrainment inlet and `an outlet positioned for delivering the entrained air into the inflatable device, closure means mounted on said tube adjacent said outlet for closing said outlet, spring means positioned for engaging and urging said closure means towards said outlet, conduit means mounted adjacent said tube for supplying and directing gas under pressure into said inlet to entrain air, a cylinder mounted in said tube having an open end adjacent said outlet and at the exterior of said closure means, a piston in said cylinder for engaging and operating said closure means, and a uid flow communicating connection between said cylinder and said conduit means including a restriction kfor reducing the pressure of the gas entering said cylinder, said piston and said cylinder having a lloose fit to bleed gas under pressure at the open end of said cylinder.

l0. Aspirating apparatus for an inflatable device, said apparatus comprising a tube having -an air entrainlment -inlet and an outlet for directing the entrained air into the inflatable device, an annular valve seat at said outlet having an inner edge and a zone radially outward of said inner edge, means for supplying and directing Vgas under pressure into said inlet to entrain air, a cylinder axially positioned in said tube having an outer end in fluid ow communication with said means and having an open inner end adjacent said outlet, a piston in said cylinder having an end portion extending out of said open end or said cylinder, a centrally apertured valve member for engaging said valve seat at said inner edge, said pis-ton end portion extending through the valve member aperture, a second valve mernber having a peripheral flange Iior engaging said valve seat at said zone, said piston portion engaging said second valve member, a rst spring for urging said second valve member on said valve seat, and 'a second spr-ing positioned between and compressed by said first and second valve members.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,595,218 Allen May 6, 1952 2,772,829 Crawford T Dec. 4, 1956 2,859,908 Neigel Nov. 11, 1958 2,866,593 Bowman Dec. 30, 1958 

